Ladies and gentlemen, my name again is Dr.

Ignacio Nunez, and as chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Arlington, I hereby call this regularly noticed meeting of the City of Arlington's Planning and Zoning Commission regular session to order for December the 3rd, 2025.

At this time, I'll ask our administration to read the speaker guidelines and general decorum.

We ask that the citizens and other speakers in attendance assist in preserving the order and decorum of this meeting and to provide for attendance at and participation in the meeting without fear of intimidation, threats, or hostility.

Any person making personal, profane, hostile, slanderous, or threatening remarks, who uses vulgar or obscene language, who engages in any other actions that disturb or are calculated to disturb the meeting, or who becomes disruptive while addressing the planning and zoning commissioners, or while attending the planning and zoning meeting may be removed from the council chambers.

All speakers shall address the commissioners and not the audience or city staff and shall not call out individually named members of city staff or the public.

For speakers tonight, when your name is called, please come to the microphone at the podium and state your name and city of residence for the record.

The applicant will be asked to speak first and will be given 10 minutes to make a presentation.

Speakers in support or opposition of the item will each be given uh excuse me two minutes each to make their statements.

If there are many speakers for an item, each speaker will be given two minutes to make their statements.

The applicants will then be given five minutes for any rebuttal.

If multiple speakers plan to provide the same or similar comments, those speakers may, if they so desire, designate one or more individuals to provide public comment on behalf of the group.

A bell will signal the end of each speaker's time.

In consideration of other speakers, please conclude your comments promptly when you hear the bell.

We ask that you address your comments to the planning and zoning commissioners.

Thank you very much.

First item of business is a copy of the minutes of our November the 12th, 2025 regular session agenda meeting.

We're sent to all the commissioners in advance.

Were there any changes or corrections needed to these minutes?

Saying none, I have a motion to approve by Commissioner Ware and a second by Commissioner Finlay.

Please cast your vote.

Motion passes 8 to nothing.

Tonight we have three zoning cases on the agenda.

The first item is PD 24-27, addressed at approximately 301 East Randall Mill Road.

This is an application for approval of a change in zoning from entertainment district overlay, residential, single family, to plan development for residential, medium density, RM12, with a development plan on approximately a quarter of an acre.

This time I'll call on our staff to present its report on PD 24 7.

Good evening, Commissioners and everyone present here tonight.

For the record, Tarani Devi Palma, principal planner with the planning and development services here to present PD 24-27.

This is a property thus located on Randall Mill Road, specifically 301 East Randall Mill Road.

The subject properties, approximately 0.23 acres, and the properties currently zoned RS 7.2, which is residential single family 7.2.

It is in the entertainment district overlay.

And the request is from the applicant to change it to a planned development for entertainment district overlay with residential medium density.

That's RM12 uses with the development plan for townhomes.

This is the site of the subject property, and the subject property was annexed into the city of Arlington in 1958, and the structure is currently wakened.

Looking at the zoning map, the adjacent properties to the east and south are zoned EDO OC, which is office commercial, and they're developed with commercial uses.

And the properties to the west and north are zoned EDORS 7.2, which is single family 7.2, and to the property to the west is a single family home, and to the north is a church.

These are the site photos of the subject property and also the adjustment property and the Randall Mill Road.

Primary access to the site will be off of Randall Mill Road.

And the townhomes will be accessed off of a 25 feet private access easement as shown.

The floor plan for the first and second floor are provided here.

The unit one and unit three are similar in layout, and the unit two has a different layout and has a much larger living space than unit one and unit three.

These are the elevations that are being proposed, and the plan proposes brick and cementitude fiber board on all the facades, primarily brick on the first floor and cementitude fiber board on the second floor.

The south elevation that will be facing the Randall Mill Road is 100% brick.

The roofs picture the roofs feature a pitched design with an asphalt single covering and a minimum roof pitcher 4 is to 12.

The garage is aligned with the building facade and features a single single door entry.

The pedestrian entrance for unit one and unit three are on the sides of the building, and the entrance to the unit two is in the front of the private drive.

Variations in building facades and window placements are integrated to add character and establish an identity to the community.

I'm gonna go back to the site plan.

The private drive that is proposed is to be 25 feet wide.

However, the fire department must have access to all the portions of the structure within 150 feet of an approved fire line.

The applicant has demonstrated that the fire line would be required only for a portion of a driveway, like right here, and they have provided visitor parallel parking spaces here in the back.

With regards to the landscaping, the unified development code requires all single family attached developments to meet either one of two options either provide a 30% vegetative cover or at least strict shrubs and one tree in front of the townhomes.

Since the private driveway is along the front of the homes, this will be a deviation.

The UDC also requires a 15 feet buffer yard here along the western, sorry, along the eastern boundary line.

There's since there's office commercial to the east with trees layered in two rows along with the cedar or redwood fence with metal posts, metal brackets, and metal caps.

The applicant has provided a six feet buffer with one rows of trees, except for the visitor parking space that is encroaching into the six feet buffer.

Also, there's the plan shows a six feet cedar wood fence not just along the eastern property line but also on the western property line and the northern property line.

The fencing does not extend into the seven feet set back here.

With the property being located in the EDO overlay, that is the entertainment district overlay.

The code also requires for street trees, tree lawns, public realm accessories, public round street furniture, and common open space requirements.

However, there are only three trees provided and some shrubbery provided.

This is due to the ongoing expansion of East Randall Mill project.

The applicant has not provided other required public realm improvements.

Just to give a little bit of background about the project itself.

This project is currently in the design phase, and the construction is expected to begin in the winter of 2029.

With regards to the trash, each unit will have its own trash cart that can be placed inside the garage.

The townhomes will be serviced off of Randall Mill Road for trash collection, just like single family users along the Randall Mill Road that are on the west.

With regard to the coordination with other plans, the comprehensive plans that's the 99 square miles identifies this area as regional activity center.

In this area is the to provide opportunity to create special places that not just includes residential but retail offices and entertainment.

This also encourages the development of multiple types of single family homes with regards to townhomes or condominiums and zero lot line homes as well.

Since this property was built in 1958, this is considered a historic structure since it's more than 50 years old.

A permit will be required for demolition.

The proposed deviation, the proposed development plan is follow is seeking following deviations.

The first one is the density.

Um RM12 allows up to a maximum of 12 building units per acre.

The applicant is providing proposes three units, so there will be a deviation.

And with regards to the lot area, the minimum lot area required for RM12 properties is 2900 square feet.

The minimum lot area provided for unit one and unit two is 2500 and 2300 square feet.

So this will be a deviation as well, approximately.

With regards to the lot depth, the minimum lot depth is 100 feet, and the minimum lot depth provided is 75.88 feet.

With regards to the landscaping, as I mentioned before, um the UDC requires at least 30% vegetative cover or at least six shrubs and one tree in front of the townhomes, but the proposal is none.

The garage location, front loading, front facing garages shall not constitute more than 60% of the total width of the dwelling.

Here in the unit two specifically, it constitutes approximately 62%.

That is uh which is fronting along the private driveway.

Required screening and buffering, level two buffer yards required between residential and a commercial property, which is 15 feet uh with uh masonry or combination of ornamental metal railing fence or composite fencing or vinyl fencing or state are redwood fencing with metal posts, metal brackets, and metal caps.

The proposal is they're providing six feet wide buffer, and also with visitor parking that's encroaching into the buffer and a single row of trees with six foot tall wooden fencing, and that will be a deviation as well.

And with regards to the entertainment district overlay, we do have specific regulations, and that has not been met because uh of the East Randall Mill project, however, three trees in Shamstrawberry have been provided.

If the commission is inclined to approve the request, staff has the following recommendations for the project.

The visitor parking space is completely encroaching into the six feet buffer yard.

Um so we um asked the applicant to see if we can change the layout to have at least two feet of buffer yard with shrubs or wines and eight feet of width of parallel parking space that'll leave up to 25 feet, 21 feet of dryway for maneuvering into the garage and back from the townhomes.

So that is the staff considerations, and the applicant is Huan Wu, represented by Naveen, and the owners are Julie Vu consulting LLC.

Thank you very much.

Are there any questions of staff at this particular moment?

Commissioner Greer Sorry, I should have caught this upstairs, but um on the site area when they do that right-of-way dedication.

Isn't the site gonna be like 0.18 acres instead of 0.23?

Does that affect any of the deviations they're asking for?

Um that is correct.

They are currently providing almost 30 feet of dedication for the right-of-way that didn't take that out of the site.

So the density is closer to like 17 units per acre.

Yes.

They still need a deviation, it's just the correct okay.

And then those street trees that they're adding, is there any reason why they couldn't put them up further closer to the site?

So when uh the road is expanded, they won't have to take out those trees again.

Um, like over here, is that yeah, like just closer to where the closer to the to the site.

Yeah, that could be an option that could be talked with the applicant.

Okay.

That was it.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Commissioner Winkles.

I have one question related to the parking and the fire lane changes.

And I thought of this after we met earlier.

If the fire department is amenable to moving the fire lane to the right side of the property versus being up against the property, what is gonna prevent people from parking behind the garage?

I think we will mark the fire lane, correct me if I'm wrong.

Um, so I think the fire lane will be marked up to right here.

So we are hoping that there's nobody parking here in this area.

But in this area, uh, we can't stop unless there's a sign or something that says do not park.

So that reduces the ability to access the property from any side, basically except the street side, which would then create another problem.

Okay, just running my chair.

I have a question.

So imagine that the expansion of Randall Mill was not going to take place.

What kind of screening would be required between uh this property and random mill?

According to the EDO.

Between the property and along here.

What would be required?

Since this is a major arterial, I believe we do require 15 feet of buffer.

And what kind of fence, if any, would be required?

In the front yard setback, they they are allowed to have four feet with 75% transparency with the kind of fencing.

I'm not sure what kind of fencing is allowed.

I'll have to look that up.

Would there be any requirement to put a fence between unit one and its entrance in Randall Mill?

It's not required, but if they choose to do so, it'll have to be four feet with the 75% transparency.

Okay.

All right.

So if we theoretically, if we were to approve this.

Should, if we do approve this, should we put requirements for the future after the Randall Mill expansion?

That's a good question.

Yeah.

Jency Thaupel.

Thank you, Commission.

Gin Z Topel, Director for Planning and Development Services.

So unit one's front is along Randall Mill, so you're looking at a front yard fencing, not a perimeter screening fencing.

So there's no screening requirement along Randall Mill.

It's a front yard.

So in the front yard, if they want a privacy fence, they can only put it up to four foot tall and it will have to be wrought iron.

So that's only an optional fence if they want to.

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions by the commissioners?

Thank you very much, Ms.

Palmer.

At this time, I will open the public hearing for this particular PD and call for the first speaker.

If the applicant wishes to speak, please come forward.

Sir, if you will state your full name and the city of residence.22 acre site is a single family residential, and we've been working with the city for a long time in dividing this into three lots.

Originally our plan was to actually have all the lots fronting Random Mill.

But you know, later talking to the staff with that roadway expansion and the entertainment overlay district requirements.

So it's been an ongoing uh coordination with the staff members to come up with the this site.

Um because we're almost like losing uh 0.05 acres of land for the roadway dedication, uh making it like really a little bit uh complicated project to work with.

And later, you know, there were some questions about guest parking, so we added a couple of parking spaces.

Um we comply with the city's requirement the staff's request that um the width of the guest parking lane uh be reduced to eight feet, we can do that to have that two-foot buffer in there.

And uh you know, we do have uh uh that uh density, like uh you said, after uh dedicating the right-of-way, we have a little bit more density uh compared to what uh we're asking for, but that's the deviation, one of the deviations.

Um and and as far as the engineering portions are considered, like you know, because it's a small site, um, you know, we are we're trying to keep the same drainage pattern going uh to the back by you know having a really a grassy buffer in that area before it leaves the property so that uh you know the drainage can be less erosive in nature.

So with that, if uh you know I'll I'll open up for questions.

Commissioners, do you have any questions of the applicant at this time?

I have one.

Where are the trash uh receptacles going to be placed?

Um we have uh the trash is going to be inside the garage, but on the trash day uh we want them to place in front of the garage uh uh next to the guest parking spaces.

Okay, that's not what we were told upstairs.

We were told that the uh the trash bins would be placed along Randall Mill.

So which one have you talked to Republic?

Have you asked them how they're going to handle the trash for this development?

We did not talk to the uh talk to them yet, but whatever their preferences we were thinking that we place them right next to the uh guest parking spaces instead of on the random mill because those trash trucks are pretty big and they're pretty long.

Um how are they going to get in and out?

Can they make a turnaround in there?

Is there enough distance?

There's not enough distance for those long trucks to get up in there and turn around.

And the city will not allow them to back up their truck into rental mill.

So how it's it's a basic question.

How are you going to handle the trash?

And if you don't have an answer, that's fine.

But putting them where you suggested, I don't think it's going to work.

I mean, uh, you know, this is like a tight turning uh for sure.

Um, but you know, whether you place them on the random mill side or on the guest side, it's going to be the same issue.

No, it's not.

They simply come along Randall Mill, they don't ever turn into your property.

You mean like at the in the front?

Right on the front.

What because it's it's a residential property, the house next door, that's what they do.

They bring their their uh their uh bins right up to the to the road and they're picked up and they're set down.

I think Andy's gonna answer that.

So Mr.

Nguyen I'll have you come up in just a little bit.

Uh any other questions at this time of the applicant.

Okay.

All right.

Um I'm sorry.

Go ahead.

Okay.

So I have other speakers here.

Uh Mr.

Nguyen, uh, would you Andy Nguyen, would you please come forward?

State your name and your city of residence, please.

My name is Andy Wynne.

Uh I live in Dowton Gardens, uh, just right across the street from the City of Arlington.

I am one of the principals of this uh development.

To answer your question, Mr.

Chairman, uh, I think uh uh engineer Naveen kind of misunderstood your question.

Uh the trash receptacles, currently we are planning to have the residents stow it inside the garage.

Okay.

And on trash day, they would take it uh out in front at the curb along Randall Mill, like uh all the single family uh residents will do.

Okay, and that is the uh the solution that we are proposing uh to uh to this body.

Okay, very good.

Any other questions?

Commissioner Winkles.

Is there any reason you chose to put three units and not two?

And leave a little bit more of a buffer for guest parking.

Your units are really good size, which is a quality needed in the area, but you have no room for guest parking.

Two unit, I mean you have a two-part car garage, but I just see a problem with people parking behind those garages and no access for emergency vehicles.

We first of all, given a very small uh area of land, and given the fact that the city needed about 22 percent of our highly limited land mass to accommodate the turning lane of Randall Mill, uh which is projected to be to begin construction in 2029.

So this project is moving forward, the Randall Mill project is moving forward lightly.

So of the limitation, the landmass providing additional parking space, uh, the best we could do given the design and the limitation is to additional parking space for for gas, as far as you're concerned, uh we can put no parking sign to regulate that, okay.

Um the um the uh the use of the of the property we intend uh to have long-term tenants there, uh but we would like to reserve the possibility of utilizing short-term uh in case of uh uh of uh limited opportunities uh for long term, okay.

limitation is to additional parking space for for gas as far as you're concerned uh we can put no parking sign to regulate that okay um the um the uh the use of the of the property we intend uh to have long term tenants there uh but we would like to reserve the possibility of utilizing short term uh in case of uh uh of uh limited opportunities uh for long term okay the economic viability of the project would be seriously compromised if we reduce the number of units from three to two and that is the best I answer I can give you commissioner thank you for your honesty the second question I have and this has come up it came up in our our discussion is are you prepared to go to the landmark preservation committee commission because it does have to go before them I do discuss it with them we have not communicated with the commission the landmark historical commission we plan to uh we uh do have uh contacts and people that we know um we believe uh that should not be an issue thank you commissioner blake Mr.

Wynne when when I went by that property you know um door looked like it had been kicked in looked like there were some people living around to the side has that been a common issue since y'all have acquired that property yes we acquired that property about a little over three years ago uh it has always been a problem uh it costed us a lot of time and money to uh maintain a certain standard acceptable to us and to the city um people utilize it for uh parking for the cowboy games illegally uh we receive multiple citations uh from the city for that and we have to um regulate that quite uh uh a bit um i think what we are presenting uh the design as well as the proposed use is it it fits with the characteristics of the area it fits with the most of the expectations of the overlay and it also complied with the uh long-term comprehensive planning uh of of of the city um it it is um quite a big improvement uh from uh where it is right now thank you any other comments or questions mr noen thank you so much sir thank you thank you for all your service that you've done with our community you're very much appreciated thank you for your services thank you in addition I have some additional cards if you'll simply raise your hand I have uh who noin as a non-speaker are you here uh spelled H Uh no noir are you here I have ding okay she raised her hand finally I have Ding and Kim Nguyen are you here thank you and Julie Vu thank you and you all are in support correct all right thank you is there anyone here to speak any additional speakers in support are there any speakers here in opposition to this project do the commissioners have any questions of any of the speakers at this time or staff at this hearing none I'm going to close the public session do the commissioners have any comments concerns opinions that they'd like to express before we have a vote Commissioner Blake reason why I asked that question is going by and looking at that property I really felt that of all the properties and all the things we're trying to do in Arlington with redeveloping and make the old new and really putting something more vibrant in there I think this is really one of the best uses of the property I don't think commercial can go in there I don't think you know you can build a one bedroom house or one single family home there but really is that what you need right in that area right on Randall Mill.

So I'm voting for it.

I will share that uh I'm in favor of this project.

It does have a few problems with it.

Uh but overall, uh, it's going to be a significant improvement over what's there today, and I think that outweighs the minor issues that we have with it.

With that, I have a motion to uh a motion to approve by Commissioner Blake.

I have a second by Commissioner Ware.

Commissioner Blake, would you please state your motion?

I'd like to make a motion to approve PD 24-27, 301 East Randall Mill Road as presented.

Commissioner Ware, is that your second?

Yes.

Yes, PD 24-7.

Okay, very good.

With that, cast your vote.

Motion passes after nothing.

Congratulations and thank you for your business.

Next, yes.

Uh I was informed earlier that PD 25-14 that the applicant was not going to be here.

Mr.

Clifford, would you tell us what's going on?

Yes, uh, the applicant would like to request a continuance.

Very good.

Uh with that, uh I'll under entertain a motion to continue.

I have a motion to continue PD 25-14 by Commissioner Sumter, and a second by Commissioner Ware.

Commissioner Sumter, would you state your motion?

At the request of the applicant, I move to continue PD case PD 25-14.

And Commissioner Ware, is that your second?

That is my second.

Cast your vote.

Motion passes 7 to 1.

Next in our agenda is PD 25-16, located at approximately 6,001 and 6004 U.S.

highway, as well as 6016 Myers Road.

Application is for a change in zoning from community commercial, neighborhood commercial, and residential RMF 22 to a plan development for residential multi-family 22 on approximately 14.65 acres.

At this time, I'll ask staff to present its report on zoning case PD 25-16.

Mr.

Golson.

Chair Commissioners for the record, Clifford Ghost and Principal Planner, Planning and Development Services.

Again, we have PD 25-16 on approximately uh 10.12 acres addressed at 601 and 6041 U.S.

Highway 287 and 616 616 Myers Road.

Currently zone RMF 22, neighborhood commercial and community commercial with a request for a plan development for residential multifamily 22 with a development plan.

Again, this is the site location, uh which is located uh just east of US 287 and north of Sublit Road.

These are site photos again of the subject site is currently uh currently vacant and undeveloped with uh surrounding uh commercial, residential and residential uses.

Again, the site is proposing a multifamily development uh with uh 252 units.

Again, there'll be uh efficiency units, one bedroom, two bedroom, and three bedroom units.

All units will meet the minimum square footage requirements of the unified development code.

There uh the development will consist of three four-story multifamily structures and nine town home units again, located on the northern portion of the property.

Uh would include a total of 87 uh total garage spaces, 47 being tucked under, and the amenities will include a clubhouse, fitness center, resort style pool, a covered seating and social area, a gaming area with courts and a dog park.

In the site access will be the primary access will be taking off US 287 with a secondary access here to the south uh of an existing uh into an existing uh access easement, also to the north, which won't be for the entire site for the town home units.

They will be rear entry and they will be uh they can be accessed uh via Lrod Road.

Again, the town home units, they will they will be for lease as well.

They will not be for sale town home units.

And these are the site elevations uh for the units.

It will consist of uh stone, cementitious material and various uh color combinations.

Again, the structures meet the uh minimum UDC articulation requirements.

Again, these are the town home elevations again are going to be similar to the multifamily structures.

You have the garage elevations again, they will uh be similar to those uh structures as well uh with the uh stone and cemetitious materials.

These are just example floor plans, they'll have different floor plans for the one bedrooms uh and two bedrooms and three bedrooms again.

All floor plans will meet the minimum square footage of the UDC.

And this is the landscape and buffering, which they meet on all um all landscape and buffering requirements uh on the site.

Initially, uh there was a on the southern portion of the site, they wouldn't meet it, but actually, this is an updated uh landscape plan provided by the applicant.

So they're gonna actually exceed the planning requirements in that southern uh portion of the site buffer area.

And the proposed deviations, the applicant is requesting 25 units per acre uh per the UDC.

The RM22 district uh provides uses of 22 units per acre.

Uh item number two of the deviations, which again they have they have addressed with the updated landscaping plan, so that that's no longer a deviation.

Uh the off-street parking location, uh, surface parking spaces shall not be located between the building and adjacent uh street, except for parking for the leasing office.

There will be additional parking, uh not specifically for the leasing office in the front of the structures.

Uh the maximum length of any multifamily building shall be 180 feet.

There are going to be elevations uh on the structures that exceed that amount.

And uh the building design uh with the trash enclosure shall be internalized and oriented away from streets and residential areas.

The enclosure should be located inside parking areas or in the end of the parking bays and should not be located adjacent to a primary building.

Uh while they do those items are located in the front of the structure.

And speaking with our solid waste and recycling services teams, they actually mention their words that this is an excellent location uh for these uh for these containers.

And the uh cementitious fiber board siding may only be used on multifamily structures that are three stories or less in height.

Again, these uh units will be four stories in height, uh, and they will have cemetitious fiber board on each elevation with percentages ranging from 40 to 54 percent.

And again, uh that extra height of four feet does allow for the applicant uh to meet the um to provide the tuck under garages, thus meeting that requirement or exceeding that requirement uh for tuck under garages on these site.

And of coordination with other plans, again, this is established residential area, uh, and it should include multifamily, single family detached uh units.

Um the proposed development should promote the following values of encouraging development of different housing types and choices to meet the needs of the community.

Uh evaluate uh the proposals in context with existing infrastructure, connectivity, and surrounding uses, uh provide a balanced relationship between the land use development and transportation system, requiring developments be appropriate for the proposed location.

Uh identify and develop infield areas in ways that are compatible with the surroundings, and employ guidelines for evaluating redevelopment and infield development applications to ensure that new structures are compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

And staff considerations if the uh commission is inclined to approve the request.

Staff has the following recommendations for the project that a 200-foot strip along US 2 uh 87 uh remain under CC zoning as recommended for property fronting US 287 by the comprehensive plan and the US 287 corridor strategic plan.

And the diagram you see here is just an example of how that could work.

Uh this is actually uh a development in Manfield, just outside of the uh city limits, just north of Turner Warnail, south of Turner Way, uh, where the frontage uh again they have commercial here with uh town homes uh there.

So it's just an example of that.

Uh the other uh number two, add masonry columns to the wrought iron fencing along 287 and Myers Road.

Uh the attached garages should be changed to masonry instead of cementititious fiber board for compatibility with the entire development at ground floor level.

And the development uh currently doesn't meet the requirements for trash carts and enclosures.

Um, in addition to providing the required number of locations, they should also provide additional landscaping around them.

Uh in speaking with the applicant, these uh three considerations, they are amenable and they will make those uh changes uh to meet those uh requirements.

And uh with this, uh you should have received the packet as part of the uh posting with uh letters of opposition, support and opposition.

Also, you receive should have received the email with additional support and opposition that was not uh that was not provided prior to posting.

And I state again there's actually um there's gonna be some more if this case moves forward beyond this.

There will be some additional letters.

I'm not sure if they're support or opposition at this point, but they would be included as they they are there.

I just I couldn't do it at this time and preparing for work session in the meeting.

So if it does uh move forward, there will be additional letters attached.

And the applicant is MMA represented by Nikki Moore, and the owners being 3400 Northwest Center LLC.

Thank you, Minister, for any questions.

Thank you, Mr.

Kilson.

Do uh the commissioners have any questions of Mr.

Colson at this time saying none.

We're going to um open the uh public session and I'll ask the applicant to step forward and to please present their uh project.

Please identify yourself by name and city of residence, please.

Yes, good evening.

Uh Nikki Moore with MMA Arlington.

Um so good evening, commissioners.

I'm here to present to you a zoning request change for the 10 point uh one two acres of land along Highway 287 here.

Um there are three different zoning categories across these three parcels of land being RMF 22, neighborhood commercial, and community commercial.

As it was mentioned in um work session earlier by one of the commissioners, while this is a SB 840 site, the developer believes that going through a planned development route will yield a better result that would benefit the neighborhood and the city.

At this point in time, I'd like to kind of give you a tour of the site plan.

Um, this is a gated community with the main entrance off of 287.

The main structure is a four-story structure to allow for tuck under garages that are most preferred by Class A high-end multifamily residents.

And the U shape of the main building, it really just uh provides a place for those Class A amenities in a centralized and very private courtyard.

There are two additional four-story buildings located along Myers, so that those garages are internal, and then everything you see from the street will be um building and landscaping.

The two-story homes have been strategically placed along the far north to provide the appropriate step down in height adjacent to the single family neighborhood.

The townhomes have driveway access from El Rod Drive, um, which is a private drive owned by a singular developer.

The developer here is under contract to incorporate El Rod Drive into the development at the plating phase, contingent of the zoning being approved.

There is a secondary access point for ingress and egress connected to the private drive that is shared with the commercial entities.

Now, this um this development, a portion of their property, it goes all the way to the midline of that private drive.

So it is internal and basically on the site of this property.

Um so utilizing the new treaty ordinance, I think it's important to point out that on this site we can save approximately 70% of the trees that also allow the developer to you know take advantage of the incentive to reduce the garage parking up to 50 percent.

Um we are actually not taking all of that.

We're still providing up to 87 garages compared to the 47 percent that we'd be allowed to be reduced to.

Um, once again, just kind of showing the kind of quality of developer that you're getting and and what type of amenities they want to provide.

Um, this site is also accommodating over just a half acre of detention.

I think it's imperative to point out that should these part parcels be subdivided into separate commercial uses without some kind of comprehensive development drainage, each community or each commercial entity would be responsible for providing some kind of their own detention within their singular development.

And so developing the whole site at one time creates a comprehensive solution and makes use and maximizes that valuable land.

Um I know it was it was brought to our attention that there's ponding that happens in that private drive right there next to the McDonald's.

This development would be able to um resolve that.

I would also be remiss if I did not go back and highlight some of the amazing amenities that are being offered to the residents, including a resort-style pool, various fire pits, social gathering areas, lawn games, and a putting green internal to the building.

There'll be fitness, yogas, and yoga rooms, club rooms, and a cyber lounge.

This place really has all the bells and whistles for a luxury living.

Drilling down a little bit further, these are the colored renderings of the main building from the main entry vantage point.

It's kind of hard to see in this photo, but there's a lot of brick detailing and interest being provided, uh banding and whatnot around around in soldier course around the windows.

Um again uh elevation still being massaged and the colors are not completely showing up on the screen as well as I'd hoped.

Um this elevation is from Myers Road, providing a kind of more um pleasant streetscape and shielding any type of like parking um going on in the multifamily from Myers Road.

And finally, the two-story homes that are positioned along the northern border.

Novo Residential is currently building a very similar project in Grand Prairie at 3900 Robinson Road and I-20.

The Casona is going vertical right now, um, and obviously a little bit further along in their design process as these elevations are providing more detailed and more reflective of the finished product, but I wanted to showcase the quality of the development that this group produces.

Furthermore, I acknowledge that there is a lot of opposition tonight, and their overwhelming concern is traffic.

So I'd like to kind of take a moment to provide some traffic data that was taken from the 11th edition of the ITE manual.

Table one outlines the total weekday and a.

So with that, I will um answer any further questions you might have.

Thank you very much.

Commissioners, any questions of the applicant at this time?

Commissioner Blake.

Actually, have have two questions.

One, where or how many apartments are in this area?

Whenever I drove through, I don't really recall seeing any and didn't see any on the map.

Yeah, so there's um there are across the street, across the way, across the I was saying across the street, 287, so across the highway.

There are two older projects that were developed in like the early 2010, 2013.

One of them is an affordable project, so I wouldn't necessarily consider those um compensations or uh comps for this area.

And then there's the townhome development.

So there's really zero multifamily in this area and until you get to Mansfield.

And and the second is more on a design element, but whenever you if you pulled up the um garages, the back side of those garages make it look like one big long building.

I assume y'all could easily break that up to where it looked like individualized things, not separate them.

Are you talking uh that must have been in staff's presence?

May have been in staff's presentation.

I wrote it down in staff, but kind of looked like a long blockhouse.

And if you do some variation in visual elements, I think they'd look better.

Okay.

So thank you.

Welcome.

Any other questions of the applicant at this time?

Commissioner Greer?

Um Thank you, Miss Moore.

Did uh you guys have a neighborhood meeting or do any neighborhood outreach?

Yeah.

So earlier when we first started this process, um, I found the HOA's contact information online and through my own personal resources and relationships in the city of Arlington, and we sent correspondence to um the mailing address and the email address.

We got no response until we placed the signs, and then that was what got the attention.

Got it.

And then um, I know you mentioned this was uh eligible for the SB 840.

Did you guys ever have a site plan that would show what that might look like?

Um ultimately I think you know, in order to comply, it would kind of be the same site plan, except it would be six stories.

Um we are even up against like we wouldn't be allowed to do the townhomes, which I think are like really appropriate and a really great step down in terms of zoning up against the single family neighborhood.

Um, whereas technically, based on the requirements, that could be a six-story building, but once again, like that's not what this is.

We're not going, we're not trying to go in here and maximize the the density of this area, right?

Like we wanted to preserve the trees and provide some awesome amenities and things like that.

And so, you know, the intent here is to not we're not even really threatening that.

We're just saying, hey, this is possible, it would have to be six stories, but we would like to do less.

Got it.

Okay, thank you.

Yes.

Any other uh questions?

I have one.

Uh would you comment please on uh why um the staff consideration uh recommending preservation of about 200 feet of frontage along the frontage road for uh future uh multi-use commercial products?

Why uh this developer doesn't feel like that is something that they're willing to do.

I think the first thing is this developer is a residential developer, right?

I think that there are lots of developers out there that they're kind of either or um in this particular case, you can see where the three parcels really are.

You know, it's this one which is already RMF 22, this back portion, and then this is the portion.

And so then at that point, you're talking about having to incorporate another developer who has a use for those that 200 feet stretch along 287, and then you're going to be subdividing those parcels because that is a completely separate use.

It is a completely separate buyer and whatnot.

Um so that would just that's not what Novu Residential is.

They are a residential developer and they believe they can take down all of this.

Um that's you know, that's really the answer.

There's not really a use for that right now.

So imagine that just for the sake of discussion, that uh that a developer, not particularly yours, did save 200 feet and built those apartments uh in the in the uh along the back side.

Knowing what you know about what you had to do for detention for the apartments, how would that affect the commercial property along 287?

Uh would that eliminate significant amount of frontage that could not be used because what you might have to do in terms of detention?

So I mean, without to speak, I'm not an engineer, so without speaking intelligently, but we're with the multifamily, we are allowed to provide a lot of open space and um pervious coverage.

Okay, when you go toward a commercial development where you have to require a building pad and certain amount of parking for that, you're now transitioning to more impervious coverage, so that water no longer can be soaked into the ground, it now needs to be channeled in somewhere and put into the detention.

So if we were looking at this holistically, that detention would most likely have to get larger in order to accommodate, or each commercial pad site within that 200 feet would also have to provide some type of detention, whether it be that or underground under their parking lot, in order to maintain their usable space for development.

And uh in a previous discussion and up in the work session, uh the commissioners were made aware of Elrod Drive, which I believe is to the north.

Yes, sir.

That is not a public street, that is a private street.

Uh and it accesses, I believe that's a church that's over there that's located in RS 7.2.

So if your contingency contract to purchase that private drive goes into effect, will that access still be available to that church?

Um so right now the Elrod Drive portion is not owned by the same entity that of course owns the church, it is just a singular individual.

Um as good neighbors, we would be amenable to you know incorporating that as a part of our development, but once again also respecting any type of like you know, public access that that church utilizes that for that's already existing in place.

Okay.

It would not be our desire to like gate it off and be like, oh, no one could use it.

It's just it would now be platted and be a part of this development.

Okay.

Any other questions at this time thank you, Ms.

Moore.

In addition to uh you as a speaker, I have two other cards in support.

One is for Wayne Berg uh Bergdorf Burgdorf, excuse me, Brukdorf.

And you also signed up as a speaker, sir.

Would you like to come forward?

Please state your name and your city of residence, not your address.

Good evening, Commissioners.

Uh Wayne Bergdorf and I live in Arlington, Texas.

Uh I am the listing real estate broker and part owner of the property uh right now.

It's under contract to Novu.

Uh therefore I'm the boots on the ground guy that have been fielding calls and prospects and marketing the property for the last several years.

In fact, as I'm sitting in the gallery, I I realized about 20 years ago, I had another group that had this property under contract, and we tried to get commercial development and couldn't.

So that that came to mind.

Uh, when we took this property to market uh a couple of years ago, we fully expected a mixed-use uh development uh demand, probably with the commercial pads like you mentioned on the frontage and some kind of residential density in the back.

In fact, our first call was to McDonald's and said, Wow, we we see a lot of cars there in the drive-thru, we see a lot of business, we see uh y'all tearing down and rebuilding a lot of stores, making them bigger.

Don't you need some more land?

And they said, No, we're we're fine.

And it was a corporate store, so they had the full authority to do so.

Uh we've during the marketing, we've had very little interest on the commercial frontage.

Um I won't say none, but I'll say just very little to it to our surprise.

Um, you know, all the commercial emphasis seemed to be across the street when the Kroger Center got going.

Uh, that's a big community and and neighborhood retail area, not really a regional area, and that's where the hub is, and that's where they wanted to be, and and they didn't want to be where we are, they wanted to be across the street.

So we tried and tried and had no luck on on the commercial frontage.

We did, however, get you know strong interest from apartment developers.

Uh, even though the apartment market had softened a little at the time, that's where our interest was.

And so that's what we uh we ran with.

Uh we also, as we interviewed apartment developers, we knew, especially the gated subdivision to the north of garden homes, we knew that that would be a challenge.

So we wanted to make no Novu or anybody have a development plan uh that would you know that would keep them in mind and do a development with with them in mind and not not build stuff in their face, which they did.

I'm gonna give you one more minute.

Oh, sure.

Um, we contracted with Elrod with them to make sure Elrod stayed available for access for the church.

So uh they've done a great job, uh highly amenitized property.

I will say that as a land broker, just in general, uh this is where you want apartments, all the suburban and urban planning you read about and and see, they say put the multifamily where the access is there by the rail stations, by the bus lines.

In this case, we don't have those, but we have a freeway.

So that keeps the residents uh in and out on the freeway and not going through the neighborhood streets.

This is where you want it.

Also, you know, compared to apartments 30 years ago, we have so many tenants that that want to be uh renters by choice and not renters by necessity.

They want to live in these highly amenitized units for flexibility, for convenience, uh, and and not mess with home ownership.

So it it feels a need uh for a housing shortage as well as this type of occupant.

So I highly support this development.

Thank you very much.

To inform uh um, I'm sorry.

Uh we have a question.

Commissioner Blake.

All right, yeah, you you stated a lot of facts and and things, but just out of curiosity, assuming you work for SVN?

Yes, yes.

And how many years have you been in real estate and this type of stuff?

Uh 41 years.

Okay, so this is your primary source of income, and this is what you do for a living.

Um primarily a land broker, yes, sir.

Okay, thank you.

Commissioner Ware, and then uh Commissioner Carter.

In your in your comments about uh the commercial folks not being interested.

Um and having been in retail in one of my other lives, uh, I can see why they would not be interested.

Now that the entrance ramp is moving further north.

I see that as very good property for for commercial.

Uh that's what opened up the whole west side when the entrance ramp to it was moved further north, opened all of that area up there, and it has grown like crazy uh for both uh commercial and residential.

Um so I I think that that entrance ramp is gonna save a lot of your problem on commercial, and uh I'm I would much rather see commercial.

I will I will say this.

We have existing reciprocal access all the way down to the McDonald's site.

So if the ramp stayed exactly where it was, and we sold pads, they could have all gotten back to the ramp with legal reciprocal access.

So I think it was already solved, and we we pushed that in the marketing that it was available.

Well, that I still wouldn't have wanted that situation, have to go through everybody else's parking lot to get to me or away from me.

I don't see that as a how many you get gave it a try because you own the lot.

But well, there's probably room for like three pads, so it's it's not like there's a string of ten pads there.

So thank you.

Commissioner Carter.

Can you give me a better uh your part owner of the ground itself?

Yes.

Uh give me a better explanation on the uh on Elrod Drive.

Uh was Builder Church, whenever they bought it or took over a lease there, were they was it content did they lease the place contingent on Lrod being accessed for them to and is it uh contingent on them being able to use that road for their times of their meetings?

I don't know the full background of Elrod, but they it's it's been there my whole adult life, and they've always used it, and no one really knows who owned it.

In fact, we had to do a little bit of title research to see who owned that little sliver.

So we we committed to Fielder that when we found the developer, we would we would make sure that that we would deed restrict, and we did by contract that Elrod as a driveway stays open for their people to have access to and from Myers.

Okay 24-7.

Yes.

Okay.

Um okay, thank you.

Okay.

Any other questions?

Commissioner Blake.

Just clarify, you did say that was a deed restriction, so it's filed already.

Well, it's written in our sales contract, so then we'll it'll go forward into a deed restriction.

Yes, thank you.

I have one question.

I'm just curious as to what your response might be.

Talk to me from your perspective about the the issue of traffic that a lot of the neighbors have.

What's your opinion about that?

Um Ms.

Moore's slide was interesting.

I've never done studies on that type of traffic, and I did find it interesting that the commercial would end up with a lot more traffic in in those arteries than than the residential.

Um other than that, you know, I have no opinion on traffic other than you know, any any well, most of the traffic's gonna come in and out through the sublit easements and the frontage road and probably not off Myers, no matter the development.

If that answers your question, thank you.

Any other questions?

Is there anyone here that wants to speak in support that has not had a chance to speak yet at this time in support?

Yes, uh, please come forward.

State your name and your city of residence.

Yes, uh name is Tony Seracy, uh City of Residence is Birmingham, Alabama.

Um thank you, Commissioners, for for having the time with us tonight.

Um I'm with Nova Residential, the developer who has the property under contract.

Um we we you know take pride in developing really nice luxury communities that are impactful to neighborhoods to overall cities and municipalities for decades and in the future.

Um we want to you know listen to comments, um, make adjustments if required, and uh as you can see with the consona project that's in Grand Prairie.

It is further along those renderings, they look a lot different than the renders you saw in our packet with Nikki Moore.

But that those are the style of properties that we like to build and do build um here in Texas and in other states.

Um I'm here to to answer any further questions that you guys have.

Thank you, Tony.

Uh any questions at this time?

Tony, if you would uh uh before you leave tonight, please fill out one of these cards as a speaker and just turn it in over there.

Okay, all right.

Um at this time I'm gonna ask for speakers in opposition earlier this evening because I saw so many of you said that uh speakers in opposition would be limited to uh two minutes.

Well, I'm gonna change my mind.

There are only six that want to speak.

I'm gonna give you guys each uh three uh minutes apiece.

Uh in addition, I'm gonna read these 13 names that are also in opposition who are here tonight.

When I read your name, please uh raise your hand.

Phil Oliver, and you're in opposition.

Sonny Oliver in opposition, Dennis Tabor.

Thank you.

Elise Tabor.

Jeff Mitchell.

Thank you, sir.

Alan Rowe.

Fred Simpson.

Donna Parrish.

Joseph Stevens.

Nita Stevens.

Jimmy Lyle.

Sarah Wood.

Stephen Ellsburnt.

Thank you for being here, ladies and gentlemen.

So, first up in opposition, David Crawford.

Remember to state your name and just your city, not your address.

The next person I'm going to call up will be Alan Vaughn.

So, Alan, get ready.

Uh David Crawford, uh, Arlington, Texas.

Excuse me.

Um I am the president of Arlington Lago Vista HOE, uh, representing a neighborhood of 65 community homes located immediately north of the proposed development on Myers Road.

Um, thank you for the opportunity to share our concerns regarding the proposed project.

Lagovista residents chose this gated custom community partly because of the protections provided by the city's U.S.

287 strategic corridor plan and the comprehensive plan.

These plans designate this section of the corridor as low density residential, with the expectation that future development would be compatible with surrounding neighborhoods.

The current plans explicitly aim to safeguard our community from high-density multifamily developments like the four-story buildings proposed.

The proposal is submitted via the unified development code guidelines and long-standing policy commitments that homeowners relied upon when investing in their properties.

Furthermore, PD 2516 raises several significant issues.

It fails to maintain the 200 foot commercial frontage along US 287, which could eliminate future commercial commercial tax revenue for the city.

There is no buffer zone separating multifamily and single-family areas.

The area has already seen over 550 new multifamily units added within just one mile, resulting in an existing concentration of high density housing.

Traffic in this already congested area will increase dramatically with narrow roads and no turn lanes to facilitate smooth flow, making emergency vehicle access almost impossible during peak time peak hours.

Before I close, I'd also like to point out that the representative for the applicant mentioned they'd contacted the HOE and had no response.

That is untrue.

I received an email from Nikki Moore through the HOE website, which I responded to and she stated that we would be they would be in contact to discuss it further, and we never heard any more about it.

Given these concerns and the numerous objections from residents and community members that you've heard and are going to hear, I respectfully request that the commission deny PD 2516 as submitted by the developer.

Thank you.

Alan Vaughn live in Arlington, Texas, in the neighborhood adjacent to I want to talk today today about the water issue.

They're going to put a retention pond in.

We don't know what this being sized for.

Is it for a tenure hundred year, 500 year?

Is it going to drain in any direction?

We don't know.

The plans are just mark on the ground.

I don't know if you're aware, but in the uh area that they're not developing, there's a collection agent pond there, and it drains across some of our neighbors' backyards.

It's about a four foot pipe, and it ends up about midway in our development.

At the end of that, there's actually a pretty much a cesspool there because it is a mosquito haven for us.

So we're going to get a lot more water through there.

We contacted the city and asked them what we could do about it.

We were told this is a core of an engineer issue.

So we respectfully request that this be at least deferred until the Corps of Engineers can meet with the staff to make a determination if there's any other impact on us or any other downfield properties.

That's all I have to say.

Any other questions?

I'm sorry.

I turned my speaker back on.

Paul Gooch.

Name and city, please.

Paul Gooch, City of Arlington.

My main concern is traffic congestion.

We all, of course, live through this every single day.

And if you're familiar with the roadways around this area, they're extremely backed up.

On Sublet at 3 30 this afternoon, traffic was backed up past going to the east of all commercial or retail frontage businesses.

So it was going into or toward residential areas.

We're going to increase the traffic on Myers Road.

And that is going to then impact neighborhoods to the north of us.

It's going to be a domino effect.

Traffic is going to just become a nightmare.

Additionally, the development, or as you're aware, the development of Mansfield and Midlothian literally has just exploded over the past 10 years.

And I'm not questioning, and I haven't been able to review it, but when the U.S.

corridor plan for 287 was developed and adopted, it's really hard to know factually were traffic counts correct or close to being correct toward coming toward our area from the south.

So I would like to request that at a minimum this proposal be delayed.

If they have, I would like for them to report that to you.

And then also on top of that, see what the traffic counts would be with the additional 129-day daily trips that has been identified by staff.

Thank you for your time.

So you live in this neighborhood, so I'm coming from Central Oregon.

I'm coming down Sublet.

I'm headed to 287.

And at 330, I'm backed up past Meyer.

Okay.

How many?

In your opinion, are there cars that are already taking a right on Meyer going through those neighborhoods to bypass that?

I see the heads in the audience going up and down.

And so all my friends do.

If we're going to Fort Worth.

Well, we saw that.

That was the common theme in all of the letters and emails that we got was that one issue.

So that was one of the questions.

So I wanted to confirm from one of the speakers that is an issue.

What's it like in the morning rush hour?

Same thing.

The other thing that I would mention in the rush hours, whether it be morning or afternoon, the expansion of noise pollution, traffic congestion, visual impact on our homes.

You know, i.e.

we're losing some degree of privacy.

Um that is really going to impact Myers because I'm going to guess is not built correctly.

I believe Myers is too narrow.

If I remember correctly, it has no curves.

We have no signal lights.

We have no speed bumps.

Of course, speed bumps have to allow accessibility for emergency vehicles.

But the traffic department needs to get involved in this project to try to produce the best product.

Of course, our preference would be that it would be denied.

But if it's not, let's at least target the best product that we can.

Thank you very much.

Next up, Robert Shaw.

Mr.

Shaw again, name and city, please.

Robert Shaw, Arlington, Texas.

I had a much different speech plan, but I'm gonna freelance, so bear with me a little bit.

I do want to say I appreciate y'all's service.

I struggle keeping one household happy.

I can't imagine trying to keep a city happy, so thank you for your service.

Um a few things I'd like to answer.

You I think Mr.

Greer, you asked about development in the area.

There's been 557 new units built within the last three to four years within a one-mile area of this place.

All most of them on the uh west side of 287, but there's been a set of townhouses on the south side, but they were much lower in density, better transition with the single family uh neighborhood behind it.

So a few things that they glassed over on access on the south end is a commercial driveway that goes to a quick wash and the backside of McDonald's.

That's not only a driveway, that's a thoroughfare for everybody cutting through to try to get on 287.

Like you said, beating the uh 280 of the light at Sublit.

So I'm not sure how they're gonna control that.

I'm not sure how the fire lane would work with that access.

On the north end is El Rod Street, it's 14 feet wide.

Private road.

What do you do with that with fire access?

It's not wide enough for two lanes, and so there's a challenge for the environment.

Umers is 20 feet wide, no turn lane, there's no curves.

There is a sidewalk, but it's about two feet from the edge of the war road, so it's real narrow down through there.

Not to mention all the infrastructure utilities, high lined holes.

Um with the four-story building, you got to consider the pressure ratings, the pipes, the underground pipes right there in front of the daycare have busted.

I don't know how many times, so I don't know if the infrastructure will support that kind of pressure required to get the four-story.

Um see what else here.

In addition, the townhomes placement is uh it lacks a screening created and it creates significant conflicts from the UDC.

Uh there's not appropriate buffering standards, and it doesn't transition well with the single uh single family residencies behind it.

In fact, they'll be looking right down in the backyards and the pools and the private uh backyards.

So those are a few things that I think were glassed over.

You know, ultimately it doesn't go along with the U.S.

27 strategic plan with keeping the east side of 287 single family residency deviates from that, and when you do that, you're gonna set a precedent for other environments.

Um traffic obviously was the biggest thing that uh we deal with every day out there.

Um it's I don't I don't recognize their hardship for these deviations.

There's so many units that just built in the area.

What's their hardship?

So thank you very much, sir.

Thank you.

Linda Simpson.

You're walking like I'm walking.

I hurt my foot.

I got that's why I got this cane up here.

Yeah.

Okay, I'm Linda Simpson, and I live in Arlington, Texas.

Thank you.

And this wonderful subdivision that we're very happy to live in.

My talk today is about emergency emergency vehicle access to the neighborhood.

Lago Vista neighborhood would be dangerously impacted for emergency vehicle services due to the significant increase in traffic that I believe would occur on Myers Road, Sublett Road, Elrod Road, and U.S.

287 Highway if the proposed development was approved in its current form.

We have a high proportion of elderly people in the neighborhood and experience numerous ambulance trips from here to local hospitals.

I can recall eight ambulance events on my street alone, and there may have been others that I don't know about.

I personally had a need for ambulance service a while back.

And if I had not made it to the hospital quickly, I might not be here tonight with you.

When I got to the ER at Mansfield Methodist Hospital, I was immediately given a blood transfusion, ultimately needing three units of blood due to an internal bleed that had not been diagnosed prior to the ER visit.

My husband had an ambulance trip not too long ago after experiencing debilitating abdominal pain.

He recalls a significant delay in traffic before getting on US 287 to the same hospital.

I don't have any information on the fire department events, but I'm sure there probably have been some.

This area is usually congested, and adding 252 housing units to the mix would definitely be a safety hazard to all the residents in the area.

So I would definitely vote no to this development in its current form and with no infrastructure improvements.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Simpson.

Lastly, Rosa Mitchell.

Good evening, Commissioners.

My name is Rosa Roscoe Mitchell and I reside in Arlington.

I'm a homeowner whose backyard backs up directly to the site of the proposed development at Myers in Elrod.

I live well within 200 foot buffer of the applicant's request, and I strongly oppose PD 2516.

First, my home backs up directly to this property from my kitchen, living area, bedrooms, and my backyard.

This development will be part of my daily life.

This isn't abstract for me, it's deeply personal.

My backyard is where my family gathers, where we grow on the weekends, where my young children swim and where we relax.

The thought of a four-story building towering over that space is deeply distressing.

Second, the request violates long-range city planning.

The U.S.

287 strategic corridor plan adopted by the City of Arlington designates the east side of 287 for low density residential with the actual 287 frontage plan to remain community commercial.

The planned development proposal disregards city planning and would permanently eliminate land intended for commercial services, jobs, and tax generating uses.

Third, the proposed BD has multiple deviations that were already mentioned, such as increase in excessive building length, permission to use building materials normally prohibited, and trash enclosure placed by 287.

The city's development code exists to protect neighborhoods, ensure compatibility and maintain predictable development standards.

Fourth, this project would introduce high density housing directly behind single-family homes.

This will increase noise, air pollution, environmental concerns, traffic hazards, and decreased privacy, reducing the quality of life for existing and new residents.

Finally, approving four-story buildings overlooking single-family backyards would permanently alter the character and privacy of our established community.

This does not honor the expectation of homeowners who purchased here under the belief that zoning and city plans would be respected.

And just to speak a little bit on the traffic.

So we have two young children.

She's four years old.

If traffic builds, and she's not the first one on the bus.

There are already, I believe, two students already on there, maybe three.

For these reasons, I respectfully ask you to deny PD 2516, uphold residence protest rights under state law, protect the integrity of the US 287 corridor plan, preserve safety and infrastructure reliability and safeguard the stability and character of our neighborhood.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions?

I I have something to share with you because of what you said.

I'm gonna take this opportunity in it in speaking to you to speak to everyone else.

How many here know anything about House Bill 840 passed by the Texas State legislature this last session?

Raise your hands if you know anything about it.

So what that means to all of you is that that land that's behind the McDonald's that's zoned community commercial by right, because of the change in law, they can build apartments there and never come before planning and zoning and never come before city council by right.

They're allowed to do that by that change in Texas state law.

That's important for you to know.

What the city did to try and want to use the right word.

What the city did in order to make sure that we got quality construction because of the change in the state law, we required that any apartment building built close to a major arterial would have to be six stories tall, which requires steel construction, not wood, which makes it more expensive.

This is a planned development that's before us tonight.

Planned development means that the applicant came to us and said, Yeah, we know about House Bill 840, it's in one of their letters.

They know about it.

But they're telling us they'd rather do a PD and not bill six stories.

And what they're really telling us is that someone might come along and not incorporate that small RMF 22 at the top, and there's another little piece of land that's a little bit different, that's a little bit different.

They might just by right build apartments, and there's nothing we can do to stop them.

Nothing.

That's what happened during the state legislature this last session.

I share that with you because tonight, as we continue our discussion, you're gonna hear some comments about how we feel about this project tonight.

But I wanted to take a moment using you as my opportunity to share that information with you and everyone else.

Thank you very much for all of you coming here.

Is there anyone else here?

Yeah, uh, sure.

Commissioner Winkles.

I I just have a general question, and this is to anyone specifically.

Let's come back.

The number one complaint that I've heard consistently from all the opposing people is traffic, correct?

So my question for you is um you live in Southwest Arlington, it is a growing part of our city.

Mancefield south of us has grown immensely.

You have a major construction project going on directly impacting your neighborhoods.

I know that.

I live through one in North Arlington off of 30 and 360.

The development of a project, whether it's commercial or residential, it's going to continue to impact that issue, right?

But some of that is going to be resolved, and I hate to say this because I hate the way Techstot does things, within their 15-year plan of finishing it.

Um, I hate that for anyone in our community.

But I just pulled up a statistic because I was curious how many people travel 287 from 20 to Sublit on a daily basis.

It's 250,000 travelers.

They don't get off and on the highway, that's just 250,000 vehicles going in that corridor on a daily basis.

That doesn't mean that they're residents of Arlington or that they're stopping and doing businesses in Arlington.

But I just want to make sure that there is going to be a light at the tunnel with some of that because what that does to our city when we have a major project like that go, we wait.

I I hate to say this, but they wait until that project is closer to completion before they do the completion of the development around it.

The understructure of the lights.

I just now the 3360 corridor just got completed three years ago, and I just now got them to complete the traffic signs because they were wrong.

They put them on backwards.

It took them three years to go and correct it, so people would quit making it a two-lane turn because it wasn't a two-lane turn.

Um, but it took time because they have a contract with the state, they have to let the state do their job.

And so I I say all that just to help educate, not to make light of it or to make jokes about it because that I think Texas takes a long time to do anything.

understructure the lights I just now the 3360 corridor just got completed three years ago and I just now got them to complete the traffic signs because they were wrong they put them on backwards it took them three years to go and correct it so people would quit making it a two-lane turn because it wasn't a two lane turn um but it took time because they have a contract with the state they have to let the state do their job and so I I say all that just to help educate not to make light of it or to make jokes about it because I I think Texas takes a long time to do anything um but it does impact us and it's something that while we wish we could say we can fix it and make it go away it won't and with house bill three um the SB 840 I think another consideration is that by right they could do that and they don't have to keep that access to to Elrod to the or to yeah to that little street they they just take that with them because it's in their property as well as cutting off some of the access in the other and I just I don't know I I have mixed feelings about how that impacts your community and overall so I do appreciate I I don't disregard I don't disrespect any of your concerns because I as a citizen would have the same concerns.

As a citizen I do um I just has to have to look at the overall big picture and say okay in five years ten years that corridor is going to be a little different anyway so well and I'm not quite I can't speak for everyone here right but I can tell you that my concern with traffic really lies on Myers and Sud not necessarily right there where the 287 corridor is however the streets adjacent or to get there are the ones that are now backed up towards Kelly Elliott or backed up into the neighborhood um trying to think of that street I think it's bright star or something like that and then that impedes as someone else mentioned ambulance or fire from coming in like I mentioned buses so those are concerns as well but thank you um first of all Lisa comment go ahead just if if you don't mind chair I could make a comment about traffic that if the commission is okay with the use they do have an opportunity to ask for traffic impact analysis but and continue the case until we get that information if there's more information that you're seeking but if you're okay with the use then you can take a vote tonight.

Okay.

Thank you.

Commissioner Blake since you took all of my SB 840 stuff uh if you haven't taken a look you should really take a look at what the population studies are for North Texas not just Arlington which affects us greatly because we have a traffic problem coming for all of North Texas so it's not just this area and you know I I rec highly recommend on the apartment thing write a letter to your state legislator all of us I believe I can say are against it because it takes away the right to the community but what I do want to you know get across to you and and hopefully make you all feel a little bit better about this because you have a choice you have somebody that is willing to allow this commissioner's court to give them some guidance of what and how they can do it versus they're going to do what they decide to do and say hey and not talk to anybody and I would much rather them come here and let this be done as a plan development to where we have some controls over it than going just by the UDC turning in their plat and being done with it.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Finley and then Commissioner Greer thank you Rosa don't you love how we're using you oh you're fine thank you what I really want to say here is okay so we've got a plan development this has nothing to do with SB 840 right now.

Nothing so our job is to decide if this project is the best use of this land and so when I look at that I also have to look at the plans that the city has put in place for this land.

And this project does not meet that criteria that's all I have to say.

Rosa I think you can sit down Commissioner Grew yeah I was just gonna uh make a comment on on the traffic study it and also some of the drainage concerns that came up and just just make the point that all those details do get handled at a later stage in the process and I think if this thing moved forward that the engineering staff before this would get permitted they would have to do a traffic study and they would have to make improvements to you know to make sure that this was compliant they may have to do a traffic light they may have to do a turn lane and they'd have to prove that the drainage wouldn't have any have any adverse impact so um I think that doesn't uh I mean the traffic is a major concern obviously but um I I think um you know Lisa's point about asking for the traffic study right now I think we do need to get more comfortable with the use before we we uh ask them to do that and um and I know that'll be handled down the road but uh that's uh that's all I want to say any other comments at this time Commissioner uh Carter other question comment from Miss Sudbury the the access that's at the car wash and McDonald's what what makes that

I think we do need to get more comfortable with the use before we we uh ask them to do that, and um I know that'll be handled down the road, but uh that's uh that's what I wanted to say.

Any other comments at this time, Commissioner Carter?

Other question comment from Miss Sudbury.

The the access that's at the car wash and McDonald's.

What makes that an acceptable second entrance for this property?

So basically that one entrance on 287 and the second entrance exit to it is on uh in the McDonald's and car wash parking lot.

So is I can't see anywhere on a digital map that I have that shows that that is a separate, it is part of the legal description of the car wash and the and the uh the auto repair shop.

I haven't looked at the plates per se, but according to uh Clifford may have more information.

Yeah, and Mr.

Bergdorf spoke to that earlier.

Yes, that is actually an access easement per the plate.

That's an access easement on the part closest to Myers, and the other portion is actually a butts 287.

That part of the access easement is actually a part of this property.

So that access easement has to remain open per the part of this property, not the building.

Right, the other side that's an access easement per the plate.

So it has to remain open to provide that access.

They can't block it off or do anything.

You can't obstruct it or anything with the access easement.

But it's it's basically uh part of the parking lot.

It's not it doesn't have it's not striped, it's no curbs and gutters, and it's basically just part of what the uh with the oil change in the car wash shop uses their you know, there's uh uh on occasion you'll see cars parked there in that easement.

Right.

So how could that even be used?

How could that even be acceptable as a counted as a access to the to this property?

Well, let me let me give you an example across the street, the Kmart, I mean the the Kruger.

There are apartments behind there in townhomes.

They have two entrances.

One is to the frontage road, but the other one is out next to the Kroger into the parking lot.

And so we allow that all all the time.

So well, yeah, well, yeah, we haven't got to the now's the time.

Uh thank if we're done asking questions uh at this moment.

Now the applicant gets uh an additional five minutes to respond to some of the comments that were made during the opposition.

Ms.

Moore.

Okay, yes, sir.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

And if I can have my presentation pulled back up, um related to some of the things that were brought up during the opposition um in terms of drainage.

So, yes, we do realize that there's some ponding um over there along that Elrod Drive.

Um, so our detention will ultimately detain that until that drainage system is already is able to accept the correct amount of drainage, and so that will kind of solve some of those ponding issues that they have running through their backyard.

We've already kind of taken those into consideration when we did a preliminary downstream drainage analysis.

Um in terms of traffic congestion, so once again, I just cannot reiterate enough that this multifamily development as an entirety would produce far less traffic than what can be developed by right in terms of a commercial use or variety of commercial uses.

And then going back to the site plan, I just want to apply some logic.

Okay, so the reason why most people live in apartments and they like their quick highway access.

So we already have access to 287.

So logically, if I'm coming out of this apartment complex, why would I come out here to just go through to hit 287 again?

Once again, once again, why would I choose to go that direction when I already can take a right out of my development to go northbound on 287?

Second may I please speak?

Please.

Okay.

Once again, the townhomes, we're only programming nine townhomes that have direct access to Myers.

So when we start talking about like what we're we're actually choosing to operate and place our site plan entrances and exits in areas that push people and residents who want to travel northbound on 287 to get to interstate 20 to make that connection to either Fultworth or Dallas, we specifically wanted to eliminate the traffic on Myers.

In addition, Elrod is a private drive.

It is 14 feet in width.

That is a traditional alley.

That is an appropriate access point for rear entry homes.

Along this uh private drive, there is gutters in order to accept drainage.

Um we do have access, these parcels of land that are under contract in the development do have access to that private drive, making it um appropriate ingress and egress point for the development.

Now it's not the main, right?

So guests would still come in to this main area, they would not have access to this gate.

This would purely be for residents only.

And both are gated, correct?

Both are gated, yes.

Um in terms of, you know, this private drive would not be used for fire access.

We have complete fire access within the development, so that would not be an issue there in terms of emergency access.

Um, and then also to the backyard, the two-story.

We have purposely placed two-story townhomes up against a single family neighborhood that are further distance than you would if you shared another backyard with another two-story single family home in order to reduce any privacy issues that may come about.

Um, you know, I know there's a lot of talk about SB 840.

The whole point that we're here tonight is because we feel this developer feels like they can build a better product and be more respectful to the neighborhood, the traffic, the density, without going and doing this by right.

Um, and then also once again putting ourselves through the the torture of a public hearing and having to sit up here and to take feedback and to also listen to opposition.

Um yeah, once again, this is good once traffic is part of life, right?

Especially living in this area in a growing um suburban area, but ultimately this use reduces the traffic potential to a controlled known variable at this time.

I think that handled everything, unless y'all have any further questions.

As related to 287, I can't tell you how many times I heard today in the work session we were talking about, you know, Arlington's new Innovate Arlington comprehensive plan.

It's a vision, it's not exact, it doesn't always work out that way.

It takes in a lot of factors, it takes into consideration the wants of what people desire, but not necessarily always the marketability.

Um they also get dated very quickly as you see growth in other cities and surrounding it that put pressure.

Other things have chosen to be developed in those uh Midlothian and Mansfield corridors that eliminate the need to um provide commercial development even at this corridor.

So I think it's just once again important to to acknowledge that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions.

Thank you very much.

With that, I'm going to um close the um public session.

At this time, uh do the commissioners have any other uh comments that they would like to make before we consider uh a motion and a vote.

Commissioner Blake.

I I just kind of like to restate what I said while ago, make sure that we're all very clear.

You know, I'm not a big apartment fan.

You can go back and look my votes.

It's been about 50-50.

You know, this happens to be, in my opinion, a good location for these apartments.

There's not a whole lot of apartments like that, and I think they'll be a little bit more upscale.

They're offering less density than potentially could be put in there.

Um I happen to like how they tried to separate the thing with the townhomes, it gives a lot more separation from those big buildings.

Um I can't reiterate enough.

If this ever went to that SB 840 that we don't want to talk about, we have no control.

Here at least we have a little bit of interaction.

Um I understand that you don't want change, but you know, the traffic patterns are going to change, and that's coming whether we like it or not.

Just look at the projections for North Texas.

Um on the apartment thing, I do highly recommend that everybody writes a letter to their state senator or legislation.

But I will be voting yes because I I think it's one of the best projects that we could have if we're going to have a project there.

Uh Commissioner Finley and then Commissioner Ware.

What I want to say about SB 840 is that you will have developers, and I'm working with this in my own neighborhood, so I'm very I'm very well briefed on this.

You'll have a developer that will come in and say, you know, we really don't want to do by right because we think we can give you a better product.

That isn't always the case.

But they want you to believe that you're getting something better when you're actually not.

Now there are things that they have to uh abide by in SB 840 that the city has put into the unified development code.

So don't be scared by the fact that you don't want SB 840, you don't want them to do it by right.

I I truly believe if they do come in with a project through by right, SB 840, that they are going to have to tow the line on the requirements that the city has put in place.

Now, as far as the plans that the city has put in place for the 287 corridor and uh the comprehensive plan, those should be our guidebooks to making decisions about zoning cases, not SP 840 at this point, because this case is not SB 840.

And so for that reason, I will be uh voting against this project.

Commissioner Ware.

On a number of things.

Um I I don't see any other apartments on the east side.

I think that should continue to be single family residences, and uh let the apartments go to the other side where all of the uh large commercial and there are other apartments and uh and multifamily over there.

It bothered me that there was no neighborhood meeting.

Um this is taking future commercial property that will be much more attractive to commercial businesses because of uh moving the entrance ramp to the north.

And most of the commercial business, I would I would think very little of it will be going through your neighborhood.

It will be getting off of 287, going through the light, and going into the commercial property and then back out going north.

Uh this the second entrance is still speculative to me.

It's just to me, it is not it's not a true entrance and exit out of the site.

It's just something extra that's there.

Your concerns uh with the local traffic bother me a lot.

Uh and I see this adding to it uh with the residents where commercial, I don't see that uh adding that much to it.

Uh the cons uh uh the current unsolved drainage problem that uh uh city of Arlington uh is evidently not all that excited about uh solving and wants to pass it off to uh Corps of an engineers.

I think that should there should be something that uh we knew about that.

Um problem uh with the uncertainty on uh Elrod Road.

Um and uh the once we go with this, to me it's it's qu it's questionable.

Uh yeah, it's obvious I want commercial there and uh and not apartments, but if we change this as a a group and we change it to multifamily, and this company decides, no, we'll we'll we'll we'll build another one of our projects that's in line and not this one, then it's still set for apartments and we don't know who we got at that point that may come in and develop it.

There are just too many things wrong for me to vote yes tonight.

Uh I I've got I've got to say no.

Um possible continuance maybe, but uh I've I've got to say no.

Uh and the SB 840, I think y'all have learned a hard lesson on it.

This is kind of our first test case on this, and irregardless or regardless of the uh outcome tonight.

I want you to get hold of your representative.

Jump all over his case about the problems that's caused you, it's causing our city.

And this is this is not a partisan issue.

Both sides did a job on this one.

I think Mr.

Turner is the rep down there.

I'd really all of you jump all over him, but uh if you if you're good Republicans out there and you know Governor Abbott, you need to jump his case too, because he signed it.

So help help yourselves, help others in the community by uh letting your representatives in Austin know that if they're gonna complain all the time about federal folks telling them what to do, then they tell us, and in that argument they always say local government knows better, and they just blew that argument in there uh in their future for me.

So please uh please follow up irregardless of what happens.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

I'll have I have a comment, you know me.

I want my cake and I want to eat it too.

Uh you're gonna part of what I'm gonna say you're you're gonna like, and part of what I'm gonna say you're not gonna like.

I think apartments do go there.

Why?

Because we don't have enough places for our young uh graduates from UTA to stay in the community to build their businesses, and they're not and they can't afford a single family home, and they're not gonna be able to afford one until they're at least 40 years of age if you read some of the statistics.

So, where are they gonna live?

And where are they gonna own their businesses?

And how are they gonna stay in Arlington?

They have to have a place to live.

And if they're entrepreneurish and they've got good business ideas, they're gonna live in a luxury apartment like this.

So, yeah, I like that part of it.

What do I not like?

I don't like the fact that we're using a 2015 99 square mile plan to hide behind.

That long-term plan that was passed by our forefathers here in the in the prior city councils decades ago, is so outdated and so in error that it's foolish to use it.

And we all of us up here know that, and city council knows that.

It's why the city has been working on this project called Innovate Arlington, and we talked about it at the work session today.

That whole 99 square mile plan is not even being concerned uh considered right now.

We're kind of in a no man's land waiting for this final plan to come out, and one of the aspects of this final plan is what do we do with our corridors?

What do we do with our important intersections?

And sublet and 287 is an important intersection.

The problem that, from my perspective, and the reason I'm gonna vote no tonight, that's the part you're gonna like, is because the infrastructure is not gonna be ready.

You know, I I found out tonight during the work session, it's gonna be about a quarter of a million dollars to build uh a uh an a light, a traffic light at Myers.

So who pays for that?

The developer or us the taxpayers.

There's a deal possibly to be made there, okay.

But right now we're dealing with a builder that specializes in apartment buildings, not a builder that specializes in mixed-use development.

So the reason I'm gonna vote no is the timing is wrong.

This is not the time, in my opinion, to say yes to multifamily, but a year from now, it might be time.

If the city gets its act together in that area and and does the infrastructure improvements that it needs to do, but if any of you have kept up with what's going on in the city, we had a 20, we had a uh a budget shortfall.

The city has tightened its belt, so it's not gonna happen for a while.

So I'm in favor of multifamily in this area.

I just I would rather save that commercial uh uh uh frontage road over there because Commissioner Ware's right.

When that entry, that entrance moves north, all of a sudden anybody coming off 287 can enter into that commercial property, get out, and get back on the freeway because right now they can't.

They can get into some of it, but then they can't they can't come backwards to get onto the freeway.

So it's coming, you're gonna get multifamily, but the timing for me on this particular project is not the best timing in the world.

Those are my comments.

Any others very good.

Very good.

Is there any requests from the applicant for a continuance?

I will give them that's an important question.

And I'll give them a moment to consider it.

Because what will happen if we vote no tonight, they will that could possibly appeal directly to City Council.

City Council may overrule us.

May but that's a gamble.

Um yes, sir.

I think we would go ahead and like to call for a vote this evening.

Okay.

Um, thank you very much.

Very good.

I have a motion to approve by Commissioner Blake.

Do I have a second?

I'll second.

Commissioner Blake, please state your motion.

I'd like to make a motion to approve PD 25-16, 6001 and 6004 U.S.

Highway 287 and 616 road as presented.

As present with the staff stipulations that they've agreed to?

There were four total.

234 with two, three, and four.

Yes.

Yes.

With the addition of the staff recommendations number two, three, and four.

Very good.

And that is my second.

Cast your vote.

Motion fails.

Three to four.

Please come back with something better.

Thank you very much.

With that.

Well, be ready to show up again if they appeal.

Um do we have any reports from boards or commissions?

No, sir.

Are there any uh announcements uh from the staff or any additional reports from the staff?

No, sir.

Finally, I want to recommend to everyone that the next regular session meeting of the planning and zoning commission will be on Wednesday, December the 17th at 530.

And with that, I want to thank each and every one of you who showed up to participate in our in our democratic form of government.

Thank you.

You are very valued.

With that, we are adjourned.

Thank you.

Sabemos que la palabra presupuesto no es la más emocionante, pero es importante.

Two impuestos son una parte clave de este rompecabezas.

Y aquí hay un dato important.

Solo 25 centavos de cada dollar que pagas in impuestos de propiedad van a la ciudad de Arlington.